


House of PenDragons

by sweetiejelly



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:30:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4934227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetiejelly/pseuds/sweetiejelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin try out for <i>So You Think You Can Dance.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	House of PenDragons

**Author's Note:**

> Too late to make this a trope_bingo fill but this is inspired by the "students or teachers" square of my card. Also cause I just love the show SYTYCD and wrote down "dancer roomies" as a fic to write. So, here you go!

Ygraine Pendragon was a principal ballet dancer, all grace and beauty, but it was her philanthropy and most tragic death that the dance world remembers her by. 

“Are you Ygraine’s boy? You have her eyes.” (Sometimes it’s “you have her hair.”) All of the time, however, Arthur is no one except in relation to his mother. For this reason, he almost didn’t follow in her footsteps. He didn’t, in fact, take any dance lessons until it was almost too late. 

~~ 

_Ten years ago_

“One-two-three, one-two-three, and… jump!” 

“Ow!” 

Arthur can’t resist the sick curiosity to push to his tiptoes and look in to see who took that most nasty fall. 

It’s a boy with a mop of dark hair and wiry frame. He’s cradling his foot and trying not to cry. He looks utterly ridiculous in his leotards and especially with those ears. Arthur can’t stop staring. 

“Did you twist something?” Mr. Gaius bends over the kid and pokes carefully at the foot in question. “There,” he finally pulls back. “It’s just a sprain.” 

The boy looks up, incredulous. It’s then that he notices Arthur. 

Arthur wants to say it’s the defiant look in the kid’s eyes that does it, that makes him push open the door and declare, “I bet I could do that without falling.” 

~~ 

Arthur lost his bet and joined the dance studio just to prove Merlin wrong. He’s fallen countless more times since the first day. He will not fall today though. He cannot. 

“Hey,” Merlin appears out of nowhere in that silent big cat way of his and touches his elbow. “You’re going be great.” 

“Of course I am.” Arthur snaps, nervous and irritated at being nervous. He knows this routine. He can perform it in the dark by now without music. The steps are knitted into his bloodstream really. And yet, he can’t help it. He wants so much to do well at this audition. He wants to present and represent the House of PenDragons well. 

“Sorry,” he sigh. “I’m just-” 

“A prat?” Merlin offers a raised eyebrow. 

“Nervous.” Arthur glares at him, half-heartedly. 

“Stop thinking so hard.” Merlin flashes him a smile. “If it helps, think of anyone naked.” 

Arthur thinks instantly of Merlin naked. Not that he’s ever really _seen_ Merlin naked except that once by accident in the showers. 

Merlin grins when he catches Arthur’s blush. “Good luck.” 

~~ 

_Five years ago_

When the American Ballet Company recruits Gaius away, Arthur’s at first dismayed. His teacher is leaving. The dancers who have become his closest friends, who have become like family, may disband now. Arthur can’t think of a world where he no longer sees the likes of Merlin and Gwen and Freya and Gwaine every day. He may even miss Vivian. 

A rare shot of whisky at a pub later, Arthur loses his cool (his head) and tells everyone just how much he loves them. “Really, even you, Viv. I don’t know h-how it happened but you’re family. You’re all – we’re all Pendragons. Mighty, mighty house of Pendragons.” And then he passes out. At least he doesn’t remember anything after that. 

Two days later at practice, Merlin presents them all with “House of PenDragons” t-shirts. “Because we’re family,” he says, staring straight at Arthur. 

“Why is the D capitalised?” 

Vivian and Gwaine snicker, but Merlin just rolls his eyes. “That is how some clotpole wrote it,” he produces a traitorous napkin with Arthur’s handwriting on it. 

~~ 

“Cue music,” Nigel lowers his hand. 

Arthur takes a moment to close his eyes, think of Merlin (not naked but somehow still smirking) and starts to dance. 

He’s here today along with Merlin, Gwen, Lance, and the rest of the house. Only Merlin and Arthur though, are auditioning for _So You Think You Can Dance_ and representing the House of PenDragons. He’s going first and he wants so badly to get a ticket to Vegas. He wants them _both_ to get tickets to Vegas and he wants everyone to know about House of PenDragons. 

It’s, after all, not just a house, home to the small troupe of dancers who has crossed the Atlantic and made it to New York on a dream. House of PenDragons is also a dance style all of its own – a smash-up of the rigorous strength and beauty of ballet and the fluid emotion of modern dance and animation. It’s a movement woven of all the styles of the dancers in the house. 

When Merlin started his animation play for fun with Gwaine years ago, Arthur wanted in right away. (To be honest, he wanted in always, where Merlin is.) When Gwen fell in love with Lance, a Broadway slash modern dancer slash tapper, they all lined up to learn that too, looking at the mirrors till the lines of their bodies felt like a song all of its own. 

With one last leap into a sideways roll, Arthur lets go. “And breathe,” he hears Merlin in his head. It makes him smile as he peers up, finds Paula on her feet along with half of the auditorium. Merlin and Gwen are whooping, clapping the loudest. Gwaine lets out a whistle. Arthur ducks his head and takes a bow. It’s done. He’s done the best he could. 

~~ 

It’s even more nerve-wracking waiting on Merlin’s audition, as it turns out. Arthur curses Merlin’s need for caffeine; how he took so long he’s almost last in line for the day. 

“Good luck,” he clasps Merlin’s arm with his arm and debates a hug. He settles on a nod instead. He’ll hug the idiot if he gets through. 

_When_ he gets through. 

Merlin is magic when he dances. There’s something that works with all of the angles of his body, the way it’s almost like butter, smooth, the way he almost seems to walk on air. 

Arthur can’t help but be mesmerised, lost in the story of the dance, though he and Merlin came up with this one together. 

“Ooh, fighting dragons!” 

“No – fighting on the back of dragons!” 

“And they get the girl in the end?” 

“Or the guy, whichever.” 

“All right. Let’s try it like this.” 

~~ 

“And they get their love in the end,” Merlin is saying. 

Arthur is almost purple with sweat, waiting and waiting for the verdict. But this is good too. If they’re spotlighting a long conversation between Merlin and the judges, that’d be fantastic exposure. He can just imagine the audition package now. Merlin’s dimpling all over the place and charming as can be. 

“Got a love in your life?” Nigel is asking (prying). 

Merlin just gives a mysterious smile and looks to their section in the crowd. “We’ll see.” 

“Oh!” Nigel and Paula both play it up, flirting outrageously, inappropriately as they do. 

Arthur feels his face heat up. Gwaine is nudging him with his elbow and he just wants somebody to give Merlin a ticket already. He huffs and resolutely looks at none of his friends. 

“Well, come down here and come get your ticket, young man!” Nigel finally says. Arthur thinks he might pass out. With glee. 

This time he does return Gwaine’s one-armed hug. They did it! They put House of PenDragons on the map. 

~~ 

Merlin rushes out of the door with his plane ticket to Vegas and the biggest grin. 

Arthur doesn’t care who sees him, if the whole world sees him. He’s making sure Merlin gets his love in the end. 

Or at least his hug. 

“So proud of you,” he smiles into Merlin’s ear as he envelops him and gathers him close. 

“Can’t let the House of PenDragons down.” Merlin laughs and hugs him back fiercely. 

~~ 

Later when the cameras are out of range, Merlin confesses quietly. “Can’t let you down. You’re as good as family.” 

Arthur kisses him. It’s okay if Gwaine makes fun of him till the end of time. It’ll be worth it. He’s getting his love in the end. 


End file.
